This isn’t a meal, but it’s yummy. Oh, I absolutely love Pico de Gallo—the freshness of tomatoes, the clean flavor of cilantro, the cool, crisp wonderfulness of it all.

I’ve always had trouble making Pico de Gallo. For the longest time I mistakenly assumed that tomatoes were its chief ingredient, and the rest of the elements were just there for subtle flavor. Whenever I’d try (unsuccessfully, it turned out) to make Pico de Gallo, it went something like this: Chop a whole bunch of tomato. Add a tiny bit of onion, a couple of spoons of chopped cilantro, a teeny-tiny spoonful of fresh jalapeno, a bunch of lime juice and a ton of salt. And it wasn’t good. Ever. And I’d cry over my tortilla chips. Oh, how I’d cry over my tortilla chips.

But then I met Anna. And she showed me the way.

Here’s the most important thing I learned about P. de G.: the tomatoes are only one part of the ultimate product. The jalapenos, the cilantro, the onions—they require equal billing with the tomatoes to make Pico de Gallo work. Just watch Anna in action and you’ll see what I mean. And I promise you’ll be drooling for "Pico and Chips" by the time you reach the end of this post.

The Cast of Characters: Five plum (Roma) tomatoes (firm, not soft), 1/2 large or 1 small onion, 3 jalapeno peppers, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. These quantities are approximate; you might need to increase or decrease the numbers, depending on the size of the vegetables you find.

Begin by cutting the ends off the jalapenos and chopping them into a small dice.

Keep going until you have a nice-sized pile.

Throw ‘em in a bowl, seeds and all. Surprisingly, this quantity of jalapenos did not add unbearable heat to the finished product. If you’re nervous about spiciness, you could decrease this amount at first, adding more later if you think you can handle it. Or, you can scrape the seeds from the jalapenos and discard them, as that’s where a lot of the heat resides.

Now begin dicing the tomatoes. First cut them lengthwise into thin wedges.

Then rotate the wedges 90 degrees and slice them into a fine dice.

Keep going until they’re all diced…

Then throw ‘em into the bowl with the jalapenos.

Stir together with a knife if you’re cool like Anna and don’t need a spoon.

Now it’s time to dice the onions. First turn the peeled onion on its side and make vertical slices.

Then rotate the onion 90 degrees and slice downward to dice.

Keep going until it’s all done…

And throw it on top of the jalapenos and tomatoes.

Stir together with a knife if you’re cool like Anna and don’t need a spoon. Did I just say that?

Now chop up a nice-sized bunch of cilantro. Don’t be stingy here! You can cut off the long stems before you start, but there’s no need to peel the leaves from the stems.

Chop until it’s relatively fine, but not minced.

Throw it into the bowl with the other yummy ingredients.

Then squeeze half of a small lime into the bowl. (If you have a double-jointed thumb, it helps!)

Add salt to taste. A couple of shakes should suffice. You might need a bit more, but keep in mind that your chips (or other accompaniment) will likely be salty.

Stir together.

And here it is—Pico de Gallo, baby! Notice how the tomatoes are only a part of the beautiful melange of ingredients? There’s plenty of jalapenos, onions, and cilantro to add to the diversity of taste and texture. Now it’s all ready to go on tacos, inside quesadillas, atop steamed fish, or OF COURSE, with tortilla chips.

Hyacinth happened to be on hand for taste-testing. She’s good like that.

Pico de Gallo won’t keep very long in the fridge—probably 24 hours or so. After that, the sugars start to break down and it turns into a soupy mess. So it’s best to make it the same day you’ll want to serve it, though you certainly could do so several hours before.

Now, one of the yummiest things you can do with Pico de Gallo is use it to make…

Guacamole! Allow Anna to demonstrate.Start with buttery-soft avocados. Halve them lengthwise and remove the pits.

Scrape the meat onto a large plate.

If you get some on the side of the plate, it’s okay. (I apologize to all my obsessive-compulsive-ish readers who will spend the rest of today bothered by that small piece of avocado on the side of the plate. )

Mash the avocado with the bottom of a (very clean) plastic cup.

Or you could mash it with a fork. Either way, be sure to leave it relatively chunky.

Add salt to taste. Just a couple of shakes will do.

Now throw a pretty generous helping of the pico de gallo you just made over the top. Don’t skimp; the guacamole should be chunky.

Fold together.

Squeeze half of a small lime over the top.

And fold together until it’s all mixed. You may want to add a little more pico de gallo if the guacamole isn’t chunky enough for you.

Hello, Gorgeous. I love you more than words can say.

Guacamole most certainly does not keep long in the fridge. If you press a layer of Saran Wrap all over the surface and prevent air from reaching it, it might go 24 hours. But guacamole is generally a same-day thing.

NOTE: If you do happen to leave your Pico de Gallo in the fridge for a couple of days and it’s no longer good enough to eat with chips, it still works wonderfully in the guacamole. If it’s just you, just mash up one avocado, add a couple of spoons of Pico, and have a little south-of-the-border fiesta in your kitchen. Or call me. I’ll come over.

Preparation Instructions

Pico de Gallo:
Chop jalapenos, tomatoes and onions into a very small dice. (Leave seeds in your jalapenos for a hotter pico). Adjust amount of jalapenos to your preferred temperature. Next, chop up a nice-sized bunch of cilantro. Just remove and discard the long leafless stems before chopping. No need to remove the leaves from the stems completely. Place all of these ingredients together in a bowl and give it a good stir.

Squeeze the juice of half of one lime into the bowl. Add salt to taste and stir again.

Guacamole:
Start with buttery-soft avocados. Halve them lengthwise and remove the pits. Next, with a spoon scrape the “meat” out onto a large plate. Next, with the bottom of a clean cup (or with a fork) mash the avocados, making sure to leave it relatively chunky. Add just a couple of shakes of salt to taste. Next, add a generous helping of Pico de Gallo. Fold together. Lastly squeeze the juice of half of a lime over the top. Give it one last stir.

Yiggie On Saturday, June 16 at 8:28 pm

I love this!!! your pictures are so great and add so much!!!

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AmyA On Tuesday, June 19 at 11:38 am

Hi…the skulking lurker again. This is the best pico/guac recipe EVER, no comparison. I have taken the guac to three parties now and it has been the very first thing gone and I have gotten tons of raves! My husband even eats it–and he doesn’t do “mushy” foods.

In fact, the husband of a caterer grabbed me at the last party and said that it was the best guac he had ever tasted and would I mind sharing the recipe with his wife. I thought I’d pass the compliment on to you since I barely made any modifications to the recipe at all (just a little sprinkle of garlic powder and fresh ground pepper is all). Thanks for taking the time to post such great recipes and the pictures to go along with them!

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Gina On Thursday, June 21 at 10:01 pm

Is there a place on this website to get the recipe in printable format. I could go through the beautiful pictures and descriptions but I have a 2 year old…

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Crystal On Friday, June 22 at 5:41 pm

The olive chesse bread is in my oven rigt now. I can’t wait to try it. I am bringing it with me to Ladies night. Thank for the blog of your recipes. The pictures are wonderful.

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Crystal On Saturday, June 23 at 3:37 pm

Just an update… I took the olive cheese bread to a gathering yesterday and everyone just raved about it. They loved it. One person asked me if it was a family recipe and I said “Maybe, but not my family’s” Thank you so much!

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Anonymous On Sunday, July 8 at 9:27 pm

I just made burgers with the Pico blended into the hamburger mixture and topped with the guacamole and crispy bacon. Yum. BUT can you please tell me when my hands will stop burning ?

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Ellen On Thursday, July 12 at 4:26 pm

Hi Ree! Thanks for this recipe and this blog! I made this pico de gallo the other night, put it on top of some saffron rice, black beans, sauteed veggies, and marinated chicken with a little sour cream and it was AWESOME. Next up is using the leftovers for guac — looking forward to it! Thanks again!!

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Diane On Saturday, July 14 at 4:29 pm

Oh, I will have to try this. However, where is the garlic?! I always have garlic in my guacamole.

I made this pico de gallo last night to go on baked potatoes and grilled salmon. You are right! It is the best ever, whether it’s a garnish or by itself. We’re making another batch to share with friends this weekend, along with the jalapeno poppers. I LOVE your website. The pictures make me want to try all your recipes!

I was having a melancholy day, and then one of my best gal pals sent me a link to your site, it has been a good day since then.
With your permission I would like to write about your blog on my blog, email me if it is okay.
Karen

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Larry On Tuesday, July 24 at 9:31 am

This is a GREAT PdeG recipe – pretty much the same one my friend’s mama in California taught me years ago. To make this great recipe into Salsa – the stuff americanos like to put on tortilla chips – add a couple of cans of tomato sauce and a can of crushed tomatoes (leave out the fresh tomatoes because of the skins) and pulse in a food processor a couple of times. This will keep in the fridge a couple of days longer than the fresh stuff but the onions will still go bad pretty quick.

This is the perfect ratio of peppers/onions/tomatoes…thank you for ending my struggles leading to pico that is nothing more than bland gruel. I made this last night, along with a grilled london broil. I marinated the sliced leftover meat in the leftover pico and lime juice ‘broth’ overnight and am eating it like a savage with my fingers. I’m in love.

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Anna On Thursday, August 9 at 8:10 pm

Honey, you need a clove of finely minced garlic in your pico. But that’s the only change I’d make.

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Kristen On Sunday, August 12 at 5:02 pm

This is wonderful! Made it a couple weeks ago, and am craving it again!

Bought the ingredients at the store again yesterday. Used some canned, diced jalapenos, because I don’t want to chop them. It doesn’t hurt the recipe at all, in my opinion.

This time will follow the tip to add minced garlic, too. I love garlic, so it can’t hurt.

My wife made this and I must say – it’s quite amazing. One side thing I’ve done with the Pico de Gallo alone (sans guacamole) is use it as a topping or ingredient for eggs. Whether you pile on top of some scrambled eggs or stuff it into a 2 or 3 egg omelet, this is a great breakfast for those who enjoy some spice!

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stephanie On Wednesday, August 15 at 9:52 pm

I made this a few weeks ago for a graduation party with about 20 hungry teenage girls…it was gone so fast. We had alot of things to dip tortilla chips in but the pico de gallo was the one that went first!I used red onions instead and added some yellow pepper (just because I found one in the fridge and I’m kind of colour-obsessed…I used a blue bowl to even things out) and it was delicious.

I am double jointed too. (And before you mentioned it in your comment, I thought, Cool — That’s what my fingers (not nails, never painted) would look like if they were photographed too). That made me really relate to your P de G.

THANK YOU!! I am a salsa nut, but after seeing this recipe I think what I thought was salsa that I have always loved is ACTUALLY pico de gallo:) Cilantro, it really just makes my taste buds go numma numma. SO, I will be whipping up a batch of this asap:) Watch out Gold Tostitos here I come…… and maybe I will add some garlic, and maybe I will also grab a cold one and a slice of lime…gee it is a good thing school is back in session….

My heart is full. Tonight, my (and my family’s) belly will be full of guac, pico, and quesadillas.

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Corrine On Monday, September 17 at 3:20 pm

You know I found your website this summer when I was craving, beyond madness, Pico de Gallo. I googled PdeG and, waa-laa, found Pioneer Woman. So that is the other good thing to come from my obssession, besides spending my summer making and consuming vast gallons of fresh PdeG.

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Aaron On Tuesday, September 18 at 12:58 pm

As a man, and one who is a stranger in strange land when in the kitchen, I found this recipe not only easy but fantastically delicious. The pictures REALLY helped me since I couldn’t tell you the difference between chop/mince/dice/etc.

Cool website too!

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Valerie On Friday, September 28 at 2:20 pm

If you refrigerate the guac before serving, you can create an air lock with a tight fitting layer of sour cream.

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Kentibur On Wednesday, October 3 at 8:36 pm

This looks so delish! I’m making both of these along with the jalapeno bacon thingies and the olive cheese bread for a bachelorette party in a few weekends! Let’s hope the bride doesn’t puke, these may burn on the way back up, haha!

michelle On Sunday, October 7 at 5:57 pm

My lustful food thoughts felt so tame — so low-cal — until the end there. Why did you have to add that guacamole?? Looks…so…good…

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Scott On Tuesday, October 16 at 6:14 pm

I love this website!! Anyway, I learned to make this Pico in Mexico (from a mexican, no less) and it is fantastic. And I make the Guacomole the same way, except I use shredded parmesan cheese and a little bit of garlic. Sometimes I’ll add a bit of juice from pickled jalapenos also, another trick I learned.

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Tandir On Monday, October 22 at 4:03 am

Add some finely chopped cucumbers and a little olive oil into the same recipe. That is a beautiful sidedish.

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Jill On Wednesday, October 24 at 1:52 pm

Yummy – I make mine the same way, but I add garlic AND tomatillos.

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Milah On Thursday, October 25 at 3:21 pm

I just finished making the pico de gallo and it is amazing. I cant wait to make the Guac.

Hey, Ree — I live in Phoenix, surrounded by Mexican women old, young & in-between who ALL have a pico recipe … just variations on yours/Anna’s, above. But listen, it will keep much longer in the fridge than 24 hours. All you have to do is, in the morning, DRAIN all the juices off that accumulate overnight … you’ll get to enjoy your pico another 3-4 days doing that, AND the heat from the jalapenos starts making itself known. MMMMMMMMMMM.

Just thought you should know…I made this for about a dozen guys over at my house a few days ago and it was awesome. We had tacos with all the fixins, but there wasn’t one guy who didn’t love this pico de gallo.

My wife came home later and finished it off with some chips and kissed my with horrendous onion, jalapeno, and cilantro breath.

Nice work Ree and Anna.

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Rachel On Thursday, November 8 at 10:12 pm

One thing that also helps with smooshing the avocados is one of those old fashioned potato mashers.

Pico and guac are main food group in our house! I can’t wait to try your recipes.

Funny story…we recently moved from Cali to Ohio. A new friend of my daughter asked her what an avocado is and when my daughter told her that you use it to make guac…guess what she said?!?! What is guac?? WHAT? Are you kidding me?

She doesn’t know what she is missing!

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sally On Wednesday, November 14 at 5:51 pm

love your work and your life sounds marvelous! loved the blackberry cobbler and pico de gallo….you sure can cook. as a chef i made cobblers from jim dodges book on baking..he is a great chef from something court SF.

Love to keep in touch.

sally

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Brandon On Thursday, November 15 at 11:37 am

OK So I love your website, and am drooling over your pico de gallo. It is the same stuff I grew up on. Just so everyone knows the garlic thing is an American addition. Not a bad thing though. I can’t wait to make more.

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Emily On Friday, November 16 at 9:46 am

I have thoroughly enjoyed your blog. Thanks! My BIL is from Mexico, and used to be a professional chef. Yes, family vacations are very difficult. I gain 5 lbs every year because of him! His specialty is pico, and it is delicious. Thanks for the recipe.

There is a recipe floating around that uses dill pickle bits as a secret ingredient for pico de gallo. I have also added various organic sweet peppers and cucumber bits to mine. I have made this in large batches and had a stinging reaction to the tomatoes. I also like to add crushed pineapple…only good (really good) for the first day or so.

Hello:
I’ve never heard of this dish before. But just looking at the pictures it looks delicious. The thing I like about this blog is the use of pictures as a step by step guide. and What a picture quality! Whenever you get the chance you can pay a visit to my blog about recipes from the caribbean.

OMG! I can’t tell you how much I LOVE this recipe! Silly me, I thought I didn’t like pico de gallo…I didn’t even know what it was! I’ve made this dish many, many times. Everyone I serve raves about it and requests the recipe. I send them to this web site because it is so amuzing. Gracias, Seniora Anna and Miss Ree for the good eats!

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Da Kids On Thursday, January 10 at 5:39 pm

This was an excellent recipe, you did a beautiful job illustrating the process as well.

Keep up the good work,

Da Kids

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O On Sunday, January 13 at 4:40 pm

Your P de G is just like mine! I loves me some guacamole any ol’ time but didn’t know how to make it so, thank you!!!!

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gambling sites On Tuesday, January 15 at 4:26 am

I like your website ,and like to communicate with everyone on this issue!

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Negs On Tuesday, January 15 at 3:01 pm

Basically a main staple in my diet is guacamole. And I have learned that you can actually keep it from browning by leaving a seed or two in there.

I have to give this recipe a try. Looks beyond amazing!!!

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click here On Tuesday, January 15 at 8:28 pm

This is great, look forward to looking into every area. Thanks for being there.

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reviews On Thursday, January 17 at 4:36 pm

Great website, it was actually quite real helpful.

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Megan On Friday, January 18 at 6:55 pm

I just read your p de g recipe…another use for it if it gets old is to make tortilla soup with it…if you want the recipe, you’ll have to profess to be my friend…and you will be after you taste my recipe. ps: I’ve enjoyed your blog.

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Megan On Friday, January 18 at 6:58 pm

Oh, and if my recipe doesn’t make you my friend, would the fact that my family owns an avocado ranch help? (no calf nuts, and roundup is twice a year, but no animals are harmed in ours, either! )

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bad credit rating On Saturday, January 19 at 9:08 am

Hello, I’m a regular visitor to your site so i finally decided its time to sign your guestbook, so here i sign !

This is my new favorite munchy.
Also, I second the comment by “Megan” about the bean soup. I’ve had “taco soup” before, but recently gave black bean soup a shot and I’m hooked! You top it with cheese, sour cream, pico, avocados, cilantro & dip w/ tortilla chips. I’m sure your pico/guac would be a great topper.
Thanks for the recipes!

pantasia online casino On Saturday, January 26 at 7:18 pm

Any idea… does this taste like Chipotle fresh salsa? My hubby loves it and I’ve tried to make it at home… but it’s never right.

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Nikki On Monday, January 28 at 2:53 pm

Tried this last night and it is delicious! I recommend this highly—be great for the Super Bowl!

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Tina On Monday, January 28 at 10:16 pm

A little guacamole-keeping tip: put the avocado seed (yes, the big honking seed) in the guacamole and it will stay green. I don’t understand it, I just do it!!!!

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Patty On Wednesday, January 30 at 11:10 pm

Yep. Put that seed in the guac and it will stay green for days. Not that it will last that long with my friends. But if it did, it would be green.

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Miriam On Friday, February 1 at 12:32 am

I have been searching for a good pico de gallo recipe for ages. Gave yours a try and what a winner! It’s by far the absolute best pico de gallo I have tasted. My daughter and I love it on everything (eggs, salad, chicken, the list goes on!) Thanks for sharing you are the best.

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Lazy Susan On Friday, February 1 at 1:03 pm

I like to throw a little smashed garlic in with the guac. Those “Hint of lime” tortilla chips make this an even more heavenly snack.

Just a note on it getting watery/mushy. Don’t use a metal spoon! The metal reacts with the acids and will make it watery faster. Use a wooden spoon, or just don’t let the metal spoon sit in the bowl with it. Same goes with salsa. It really does help!

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erin On Monday, February 4 at 7:34 pm

this stuff is great. me and my family go to mexico about every other summer and we have yet to find a pico that is delicious as the kind we eat down there. But this stuff rules. i turned vegan in october and have yet to find something i crave, till now. yummy yummy to my tummy. i’m a college kid and am learning to cook. i’ll keep this around for forever!

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Victoria On Monday, February 4 at 10:36 pm

Oh God…This is delish!!! I made it exactly as it is in the recipe and I now recognize everything I’ve missing. I’ve HATED Cilantro for sooooo long, but now I think I can fall in love with it. Ree, you are so on my list of favorite people now.

This recipe is great! The only change I made was to add some diced up tomatillos as well (because I love them). It was great and a big hit! I just love how fresh and crisp everything is, and I don’t feel guilty if I eat a crapload of it. Thanks P-Dub!

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Andrea On Friday, February 8 at 2:05 pm

Bless you (and Anna) for not ruining guacamole with a bunch of extra stuff like cheese and garlic and sour cream and all of that rot. The best guac I have ever had was from a little trailer restaurant outside of Huntsville Texas. I worked there for a while, and the cook made every order fresh – cut up an avocado, toss in a little handful of tomato, a little handful of onion, a couple of shakes of salt, mash it up, your done. He’s probably not there anymore but the restaurant is – we drove past it on a recent visit and I squealed with delight. Unfortunately we were unable to stop but I hope they still make it that way.

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dana On Saturday, February 9 at 10:23 am

this is the best blog ever! i love pico, and it is always a soupy mess. i wish i had some mexican friends to help me, but this will do for now! awesome!

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Ellen On Saturday, February 9 at 9:39 pm

I made the pico de gallo and the guacamole tonight. They were great. Thanks!

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Michelle On Sunday, February 17 at 11:39 am

I make an absolutely inauthentic guacamole, but the taste drives me crazy and sometimes I eat it every day for a week straight. Start with a beautiful avocado or two, then add a couple splashes of teriyaki sauce (a good one). The teriyaki sauce should darken the avocado a little. It will smell amazing. Then, throw in a tablespoon or two of diced garlic (I’m lazy and buy a huge jar of it). I usually add a lot of garlic. My friend Rae likes to add diced tomatoes, but I’m usually drooling by then from the smell of the avocados, teriyaki, and garlic and I can’t wait for tomatoes. Dig in with some tortilla chips. Let me know what you think. I’m off to make some right now!

I prepared this recipe two weeks ago and it was so delicious!!! It was so simple and the proportions were perfect. I thought it would be overpowered by the jalapenos, but the heat was mild to medium. The cilantro & lime were the key ingredients for me.:-) Thank you! In Christ, Talya

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Melissa from Pittsburgh On Friday, February 22 at 12:51 pm

I’ve made this THREE times already. I’m on Nutrisystems right now and I should NOT be here – at this site, looking at this WONDERFUL food (can’t wait to make the chocolate pie – but it will have to wait!)

Anyway, I’m allowed some avocado, so I make a tiney tiny bit at a time, and it gives my daily salads a much needed KICK. THANKS for making my diet that much TASTIER.

PS – Can I be your neighbor?

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Emily On Friday, February 22 at 5:51 pm

I have a friend from Texas (her parents are from Mexico)who gave me a great tip for keeping guac fresh. After your done making it put the avocado seeds back in the guac and it will help keep it from browning.

I love this recipe so much that I am using it for my cooking class. This next week we are doing snack food and I knew I had to use this as one (woops two) of the snacks!

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Melissa Marquez On Saturday, March 8 at 11:30 am

Try “roasting” the jalepenos first then peel them. The flavor is Amazing! I roast them on my “comal”, Anna would know what this is :o) I cook my tortillas on it too.

Your other Mexican friend from HighSchool,
Melzy ;o)

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Christina On Sunday, March 16 at 4:14 pm

Holy cow!! My life is complete now! Seriously, this is the best guacamole ever and I want to eat it everyday. I’m throwing a quesadilla & yummy guacamole party tonight using your recipes. My husband is a vegetarian so this is one of the few things I get to try from your site. Now that we’ve tried this I want to eat them all!
Thanks so much!
~Christina

Deena On Monday, May 19 at 1:55 am

The pico and guac were amazing. The jalapeno was amazingly potent though, and I love spicy food. Next time, I’m going to only use half.

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Anonymous On Tuesday, May 27 at 4:25 pm

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j.e. On Tuesday, May 27 at 10:24 pm

looks GREAT! i’d just recommend a morter. makes crushing the avocado much easier and smoother. loving this site and al your ideas

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liz On Friday, June 13 at 5:55 pm

yum and yummer. i’ve just made this because i have a friend coming around and i can’t stop eating it and fear i shall have to make more. also made your pots de creme the other night and they were a huge hit. so thank you

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robin weber On Monday, June 16 at 2:10 pm

if ur going to store it for some time in ur fridge, take one of the pits, plot it right on top of the guacamole….keeps the stuff from browning although the lime juice does alot of the same thing.